Program Planning Committee Report to the Provost
Social Science Department
College of Social Sciences
AY 2003-2008
May 15, 2009
The Program Planning Committee thanks the Social Sciences department for their efforts
with the program review. We commend the executive summary that outlines
achievements and issues since completion of the last review, particularly in regard to
reinvigorating the Women’s Studies program and the important contributions of the
department in teacher training. For the next review, we ask that the department follow the
Program Planning Guidelines in formatting the report and include the required data
elements from the Office of Institutional Research.
The Social Sciences department has laid a good foundation for its assessment activities,
having developed student learning outcomes and assessment plans and collected data for
its programs in consultation with the College Assessment Facilitator at the department
retreat in November 2007. The WASC team in their March 2007 visit encouraged all
programs to put greater focus on program (rather than course) assessment and use data
(course and other sources) to evaluate the achievement of program outcomes at
graduation. Should the Social Sciences Department need help with assessment, activities,
the Director of Assessment and College Facilitators are available to provide additional
suggestions and support. In the next program cycle, in accordance with the Program
Planning Guidelines, the self study should include program assessment plans, the
university assessment reports, and an evaluation of the results of assessment efforts with
particular attention to modifications that have been made to improve student achievement
of learning goals and outcomes.
The final step in the program planning process is a meeting with Provost Carmen Sigler
(or her designee), Vice Provost for Academic Budgets and Planning Bill Nance, AVP of
Undergraduate Studies Bob Cooper, Dean Tim Hegstrom, and Department Chair Alex
Yamato. The department should contact Svetla Ilieva in the Office of Undergraduate
Studies to schedule the final meeting. The following topics for discussion are
summarized from the reports:

collaboration with other departments through integration of courses and shared
resources, and a possible merge into a new department of Ethnic and Women’s
Studies (or similar)

support of the teacher education programs and meeting new standards and subject
matter domains of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing

visibility of the department throughout SJSU
1
Please obtain recent data elements from the Office of Institutional Research before
scheduling this meeting. If the Department would like to propose other issues for the
meeting, please discuss the appropriateness of the topics with your Dean.
The Program Planning Committee recommends acceptance of the plan without
modification. The next program review for Social Science is scheduled for AY 20112012 with the self-study due in spring 2011.
2008 - 2009 members:
CC:
Debra Caires
Thuy Le
Pam Stacks
Mary Calegari
Quynh Lu
Gary Stebbins
Elaine Collins
Bill Nance
Patricia Stroh
Bob Cooper
Dan Perales
Sutee Sujitparapitaya
M. E. Fayad
Annabel Prins
Shailaja Venkatsubramanyan
Beverly Grindstaff
Lori Rodriguez
Ashwini Wagle
Xiaolu Hu
Jackie Snell
Alex Yamato, Department Chair, Social Sciences Department
Tim Hegstrom, Dean, College of Social Sciences
Beth Von Till, Chair, Curriculum and Research
Bob Cooper, AVP Undergraduate Studies
Bill Nance, Vice-Provost
2
Appendix: Summary of Program Planning Reports for
the Social Science Department
Overview of the Program:
The Social Sciences department includes the Asian American Studies, Social Science,
Social Science Teacher Education, and Women’s Studies programs. The Social Sciences
program offers an interdisciplinary B.A. degree in four topical areas: Asian American
Studies, Comparative Studies in Race/Ethnicity, Class and Gender; Public Service and
Social Change, and Women’s Studies. Teaching credentials are available through a B.A.
in Social Science, Teacher Preparations, Multiple Subject (grades K-8) and Single
Subject (grades 6-12). The department also offers minors in Asian American Studies,
Social Science, and Women’s Studies.
After reorganization of the department in 1987, African American Studies and Mexican
American Studies moved to the College of Social Work (now the School of Social Work)
and became separate departments. Although the Mexican American Studies and African
American Studies programs moved back to the College of Social Sciences, they continue
as separate departments and are not currently included in the Social Sciences Program.
In AY 2007-2008, the number of FTE faculty was 6, an all-time low for the department.
Summary of Self Study (January 2008)
Executive Summary:
The Social Science Department was created in 1965 to provide for social science teacher
education and interdisciplinary social science majors. The self study includes a detailed
chronology of the faculty and development of the department’s programs and curriculum.
The self study submitted in 2008 is an addendum to a report submitted in 2005 (but not
included in the program review binder) and primarily responds to an external reviewer’s
report from that year. The self study therefore does not follow the program planning
guidelines established in 2006, but instead is organized by the following topics:
Centrality to the Mission of the University
The Social Science Department provides for teacher education and interdisciplinary
social science majors. In response to the external review in 2005, the department took the
following actions:

Retreat to discuss creation of a School of Ethnic and Women’s Studies

Looked at Cal Poly Pomona and other universities as models for a comparable
school

Request for establishing a B.A. in Asian American Studies

Development of Women’s Studies toward the goal of establishing a major
3

Submission of “Single Subject Matter Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for
Program in Social Science” to the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing
Quality of the Instructional Program
Data submitted in the self study came from student surveys and SOTEs. Overall student
satisfaction with learning in Social Science courses in both major/minor (79%) and
general studies (73%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend the courses.
Faculty worked to improve advising, with one faculty member now designated as the
primary advisor.
Student Demand
Roughly 75% of undergraduate course offerings were in lower division, with the most
popular courses being Asian American Studies 33A and 33B, Women Studies 10, and
Women Studies 20 (which also meet GE requirements).
According to figures reported in the self-study, the number of undergraduate majors
declined from 114 in Fall 2003 to 81 in Spring 2007. From Fall 2003 through Fall 2006,
the average student enrollment was 235.93 FTES per semester. [Because the self study
did not include reports from the Office of Institutional Research, the Program Planning
Committee cannot verify the accuracy of these enrollment figures and data on studentfaculty ratios.]
Societal Need
The statement of how the department fulfils a societal need remains the same as in
previous reports.
Financial Resource Effectiveness, Viability and Efficiency
The main issues are diminishing of financial resources and loss of key faculty, not all of
which have been replaced. Reduction in enrollment poses a serious threat to the
department, and the reduction in faculty limits the department’s ability to respond to
emerging trends in the field. Student-faculty ratios have fluctuated, with a low of 26.09 in
AY 2004-2005 to a high of 31.08 in AY 2005-2006.
Interdependence of Programs
The department provides a range of GE courses, three minor programs, service courses
for other programs (for Child Development and Mexican American Studies majors), and
several cross-listed courses. Faculty served on graduate theses committees for Education,
Theatre Arts, Sociology, and Art. The department recently restructured the topical majors
to highlight its strengths. The faculty worked on developing a required course in
California history and government for its teacher education majors and is discussing
creating other courses to support the major (such as methodology and popular
culture/media).
4
Capacity to Contribute to an Academic Field
The activities and achievements of the six full time faculty demonstrate their many
contributions to the field.
Availability of Instructional Alternatives
The interdisciplinary programs of the department emphasize diversity. Because the Asian
American, Social Science, and Women’s Studies programs are united in one department,
they are “uniquely situated to incorporate critical perspectives in race, class, and gender
into general education and into teacher preparation programs.”
Summary of External Evaluator’s Report (March 2008)
This report was prepared by Dr. Timothy P. Fong (Director, Social Science and Asian
American Studies Program, CSU-Sacramento) and Dr. Joanne Belknap (Department of
Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder. Three central questions guided the review:
1) How is the new faculty fitting in?; 2) How to expand and enhance Women’s Studies;
3) How does Social Science fit in with the rest of the college?
Mission
The department fulfills its mission in regard to teacher preparation and is exemplary in its
diverse curriculum and faculty. However, the external reviewers recognized problems in
the retention of faculty, who often left to teach at other departments on campus, and the
sometimes hostile relationships with faculty in these other programs. These problems
have affected the department’s efforts to submit its “Single Subject Matter Standards of
Quality and Effectiveness for Programs in Social Science” to the California Commission
on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). The reviewers assess the situation as “being out of
hand, excessively petty, and unbecoming of a major metropolitan university.”
Recommendations:
1) Continue to pursue creation of an “umbrella” center/unit that includes MAS and
African American Studies with the Social Sciences programs.
2) Develop majors in Asian American Studies and Women’s Studies
3) Look at Cal-Poly as a model for Ethnic and Women’s Studies
4) More proactive involvement of administration in fostering a culture of collegiality
5) Continue working on submitting the “Single Subject Matter Standards” to the
CCTC.
6) A commitment by the administration to providing necessary resources to allow
the programs to grow the number of majors (particularly in Women’s Studies).
Quality of Instructional Program
The quality of instruction rated very high in student surveys, though they expressed some
frustration with cancelled courses due to low enrollment and the lack of respect for the
major on campus. The reviews had two recommendations for improvements:
5
1) Develop a separate assessment for majors in the Subject Matter Preparation
program as required by the CCTC;
2) Discuss shared advising with the College of Education for the multiple and single
subject students.
Student Demand
Enrollments have decreased since 2003, particularly in the Asian American and Women’s
Studies programs.
Recommendations:
1) “Provide clear and continued assistance” to community college counselors on
Social Sciences majors
2) Repeat of recommendation 1) under “mission,” creation of “umbrella” unit
3) Allow latitude in enrollment for Women’s Studies while the department recovers
from loss of faculty.
Societal Need
The program appears to fulfill the SJSU “Curricular Priorities” for Societal Need. The
reviewers recommended that the department work closely with the administration to
address issues raised in the WASC report of April 10, 2007, which expressed concerns
related to the University’s “inclusive excellence.”
Financial Resource Effectiveness, Viability and Efficiency
The reviewers commended the commitment of the faculty, the efforts to rebuild the
Women’s studies Advisory Committee, and the work of the office staff in juggling many
duties in this complex interdisciplinary program.
Recommendations:
1) Assigned time to faculty to allow them to coordinate efforts to create an umbrella
center or unit for Ethnic and Women’s Studies
2) Recruitments to replace faculty, particularly in Women’s Studies and Asian
American Studies Program
3) Additional help for support staff
4) Involvement of the department in discussions regarding space issues
Interdependence of Programs
The reviewers commended the lower division GE courses and the department’s creativity
in service courses and cross-listing courses to enhance its visibility.
Recommendations:
“Greater efforts by the administration to encourage other departments to cooperate with
the Social Science Department, particularly with the single subject matter program. The
existing single subject matter program is 66 units, but the newly developed program is
6
just 45 units. The current single subject program in the History Department is 69 units.
While the proposed new program in the Social Science Department is more efficient, it
may be questionable if it will meet all of the new standards and subject matter domains of
the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The reviewers are concerned that
the reduction in course offerings is a result of the lack of cooperation” with other
departments.
Capacity to Contribute to an Academic Field and Availability of
Instructional Alternatives
The reviewers commended the department in these two areas and had no
recommendations.
Conclusions
1) The department has a “beleaguered but highly committed faculty whom students
greatly appreciate;
2) Curriculum is consistent with the University mission;
3) Concerns about diminished status of the department on campus;
4) Given importance of teacher education and preparation, more investment and
support from the administration is needed
Department’s Response
None.
Summary of College Committee Report (May 29, 2008)
The committee underscored the department’s vital role in “preparing students to be
engaged and informed citizens and community members with a skill set to work
collaboratively to improve life in our communities” and the essential contribution of the
department in teacher training. The department makes an “enormous contribution” to the
university and should be highlighted by the administration so that it is more recognized
across campus.
Of particular concern were the lingering hostilities between the Social Sciences and
History departments. The College Committee reiterated that “there is no place in the
College of Social Sciences for such conflicts, and pointed to Senate Policy
Recommendation S01-13, signed by President Caret on 7/19/2001.
The committee concurred with many of the external reviewers recommendation and
made the following recommendations:
1) Each program should have independent majors with a solid core of faculty;
2) Develop curriculum and growth plans that “are not contingent on collaborations
with departments perceived as hostile.” Focus instead on its own teacher
preparation certification and growth of the Asian American and Women’s Studies
programs;
7
3) Continue to cross list courses, especially in the College of Business and College
of Education;
4) Explore ties/mutual relationships with the “Punjabi Center’ to be housed in the
Foreign Language Department;
5) Release time to help faculty develop programs, including increase of release time
for the chair to .4 per semester;
6) Request that the Dean “initiate ‘crisis level’ discussion regarding the ‘broken
relationship’” between the History and Social Sciences departments regarding the
single subject issue;
7) The Dean’s office should “facilitate a college-wide analysis of ways to support
small department through emphasizing their strengths and connecting them to
other departments by way of minors and other mechanisms of complementing the
curricula of these larger departments.”
Dean’s Report (March 27, 2009)
Dean Hegstrom praised the “nurturing group climate” of the department, the revival of
the Women’s Studies program, and the faculty’s participation in book talks. He
encouraged the department to move forward with integration of courses and resources
with the African American and Mexican American Studies programs, with the ultimate
goal of merging into a new department of Ethnic and Women’s Studies (or similar).
The Dean responded in more detail to the College Committee recommendation on level
of support. Since the preparation of the self study, the College has increased assigned
time for the chair and program coordinators for administrative tasks, including time for
program development.
Regarding a “crisis level” discussion to resolve old conflicts with other departments, the
Dean instead recommended focusing the discussion on “the important substantive issues”
before the college. He suggests finding examples of successful collaboration and then
“building a track record of further successes that could help to restore trust.” He points to
important recent work with the single subject proposal before the CCTC and the small
unit requirements for the Subject Matter Preparation Program.
Although the Social Sciences program can develop independently from other
departments, it must continue to work with others that are also responsible for delivering
the teacher education curriculum in Social Science.
8